Remnants of the Past
by Ms. Moonstar
Summary: One shot ficlit. Taiki reflects on her 16th birthday, the events leading to Galaxia's invasion, and their lives a year after returning to Kinmoku. NO SLASH!


Remnants of the Past

Ms. Moonstar

A/N: this is just an exercise for me to get back into the groove of writing. And something special for Taiki Kou's birthday, especially since she isn't a popular character in the series. Manga-verse, oneshot. Enjoy.

Italics are flashback moments.

* * *

The day dawned gray and dreary as Sailor Star Maker woke in her usual early fashion. Stretching and pushing aside the covers, the tall brunette went to the window, pushing aside the ragged curtain and glancing out. _What a glorious day_ she thought ruefully, rolling her eyes. The three star senshi and their princess had worked hard to restore their home planet, but most of it was in ruins. Indeed, when she looked out through the glass, she still could see patches of barren rock. Parts of the castle too was still in disrepair. Refugees returning to the planet arrived everyday, so they worked diligently to renovate the land, and thus forsaked the restoration to the castle. Yaten was sleeping on a sofa in her partially usable apartment, while Seiya slept on a half-broken couch in Kakyuu's rooms.  
Yawning, the brunette quickly showered and dressed in the few clothes that she had salvaged and went down to the dining hall.

_Feeling refreshed, Taiki made her way downstairs for dinner. The brunette was startled as she pushed open the large oak doors. "Happy Birthday Taiki!"_ _Three voices yelled in unison, part poppers exploding and spewing streamers every which way. The brunette saw the smiling faces of her comrades, Seiya and Yaten, and her princess, Kakyuu. The fire-haired royal glided towards her, planting a kiss on her guardian's forehead. "Happy 16th, my dear." Taiki felt her cheeks warm in shyness and happiness. These three were like her family, the only one she had known. Taiki had been orphaned at two and spent her youth in an orphanage. Until that is, an official from the palace came and told her that she would be living in the palace from now on__. She had met Seiya and then Yaten. For the first time, Taiki felt as though she had truly made friends by being herself; it seemed foreign and strange. It was only when they were badly hurt in a training session did she almost run way. The intelligent girl knew that living at the palace came at a price and she did not want to grow up to eventually only be fighting endless battles. But it was after they met princess Kakyuu that her mind had been changed. The then child was kind and gentle, and being by her friends made it worth it. The brunette knew she could always count on them in battle and in real life, and so she stayed. __That had been nearly nine years ago. 'How time goes by.' Taiki thought. After a large dinner, and cake, Seiya, Yaten and Kakyuu insisted that she open her presents. Yaten was first, handing her a small box. Attached to the top of the box was a note that read:**  
To Taiki, whom I wish to remind is as beautiful on the outside as she is inside.**_ _Opening the box, the brunette lifted a elaborate fan-like hair comb. It was black striped agate, encrusted with amethyst roses surrounded by emerald petals. They were precious stones found only on Earth. "Thank you Yaten, it's exquisite! Where did you get it?" The smallest senshi just smiled and made a "v" sign with her fingers._

_Seiya was next, handing her a bigger deeper box. "I know you've gotten interested in the mythology of Earth." From the pristine tissue paper, Taiki raised out a large tome with gilded lettering entitled Mythology and Ancient Beliefs of Earth__. She had heard of many legends of the distant planet when she was a child. The tall girl continued to to read about the planet on the outside part of the galaxy as she lived in the palace, as it had a large library that had plenty of books that she would never had access to had she remained at the orphanage. "Thank You Seiya, I will treasure this." Finally, Princess Kakyuu bent to be at eye level with her senshi, smiling with the pride as a mother would have for her child. "Taiki, I wanted to give you something to remember how much you mean to me. Not only as my guardian, but as one of my closest friends I've ever had." Opening her palm, the fire-haired royal revealed an egg shaped music box. On closer inspection, the intelligent senshi could see that it was emerald, embossed with gold enamel ribbons. On each side was a portrait of themselves (Kakyuu in the front, Yaten and Seiya on the sides, and Taiki parallel to her princess on the back) surrounded by white pearls. All around the music box was orange sapphire olive blossoms. But that was not the only thing that was elegant. As Kakyuu handed her the music box, Taiki turned the key, and from the center rose miniature figures of Kakyuu and herself in senshi form dancing together. The intelligent girl was suddenly overwrought with emotion. Choking back tears, she whispered, "Thank you so much Ouhi."_

_That had been only been nearly a month before the invasion of Galaxia. There had been whispers of the corrupt senshi devastating planets at first. And then, a closest neighboring star planet, Urabi, a light year away, had be demolished it became a serious issue_. I_t disturbed them even more that Galaxia and her minions were killing Senshi and royals with true star seeds to gain even more power. The Kinmokuian consuls had decided that the planet would fight, but inwardly, Taiki had thought it in vain. From the reports that she had recieved, no one would be able to resist Galaxia's brutal attack if it came to this planet. The night before Seiya's birthday, the intelligent senshi felt an ominous presence. Turning, she looked out the window and saw the sky turning a dark magenta color, flashes of black lighting filling the air. The lightning seemed to be coming closer and closer, the screams of citizens could be heard now. Gods, they were not prepared enough yet! Glancing around the room, she found the music box that Kakyuu had given her and stuffed it into her pocket. Then, Taiki threw open the door and raced down the hallway. Pulling her henshin brooch from her other pocket, the tall Star senshi yelled "Maker Star Power, Make-up!" and within the span of a few seconds had transformed into Sailor Star Maker. Within moments she was joined by Seiya and Yaten who had already transformed. "We have to get out of here!" Maker yelled 'They'll be out for us, and Ouhi!" The Starlights charged down the many corridors until they reached their princess' rooms. There was no answer. Seiya kicked in the door before all three beheld the mess of the bedroom. furniture was strewn all over, and dark crimson marks could have only been blood. "Oh gods!" Healer shrieked, "What if she's been captured? or..." Taiki put her hand on the smaller Starlights' shoulder. "We would have felt it if she faded away. However, I don't think the enemy capture her. Galaxia's method is to kill outright, in this case it looks like one of her minions tried to fight Kakyuu and the princess warded her off." Taiki's eyes scanned the room for anything that might have been a clue as to where her princess had fled. Having none, the tall brunette felt her heart tighten. But then, something caught her eye. The incense burner, the one that was always on Kakyuu's dressing table, was no longer there. 'Why did someone steal the burner?' Taiki thought. And then someone else made her rush to the table. On it was a scrap of paper with Kakyuu's familiar handwriting on it. _

'**My Starlights, I have been gravely injured and was saved-**' _and then the note stopped abruptly. Large droplets of blood had stained the parchment, a sign that indeed, Kakyuu had fought for her life. Taiki handed the note to her friends who in turn were astonished. But that still did not explain why the incense burner was gone, nor who saved her and where they might have went. No one was safe in this galaxy...unless... _

_"She might have gone to a place where it is still free from danger." Maker breathed. "In that case we need to follow and find her again. We are her guardians, it is our duty to protect us." _

_"But," Yaten said hesitantly, "that could take months, years! There are a dozen places that haven't been attacked yet!"_

_"There is only a few places left in the galaxy where there are civilizations. We'll look for them there. If not, then more than likely Earth was her next choice." Maker said calmly. _

_"Earth?" Fighter looked confused. _

_Maker nodded_ _"There's supposedly are sailor senshi from the Sol System on that planet. There's rumors that the moon princess from Silver Millennium is now a fighting warrior."_

_"Then we have no choice but to follow Ouhi's trail and try to find her." Fighter said firmly. Come on, we need to teleport." The three star senshi looked sadly at their crumbling city from the window. _

That had been nearly a year ago. Indeed they had searched some of the other planets for their lost princess , but to no avail. Finally they arrived on Earth, and found a glimmer of hope in feeling a small inkling of her presence. They had sung, gone to school, fought Galaxia's minions and finally, during the intensity of one of those battles, found their princess again. Had it really only been a year since then? It seemed like a decade since that day. She had kept the musicbox in her pocket at all times, and played it when she felt no hope of finding their princess, and never told Seiya or Yaten that she had it with her. They had presumed that it had been left behind. Taiki had regretted leaving behind Seiya and Yaten's presents as she was not able to find them now. Why did she remember this all of a sudden. The brunette star senshi sighed and pulled open the now battered door to see her friends very much as they had been one year before, but careworn and slightly sadder from that day. The sound of clapping hands replaced the party poppers. The table was set with some food, including a small cake that was enough for the four of the. Instead of boxes, there were small parcels wrapped in plain brown grocer's paper. Once more, as had been on her previous birthday, the star senshi had dinner and then cake, only in silence. Taiki was feeling a sense of deja vous as Seiya stepped up and gave her the present. "I think you'll like this." she said with a wink. The package yielded _Mythology and Ancient Beliefs of Earth__. _The intelligent senshi gaped at her leader. "I found it in your rooms, it was badly battered and worn, but Kakyuu restored it."

Yaten was next, handing her a smaller bundle. Opening it she found that it was the hair comb that she had also left behind in the ensuing chaos, brand new as the day she received all that time ago. "It gotten flattened by rubble, but I got it repaired."

Finally, Kakyuu approached and handed her a soft package. "I-couldn't find your music box, so I got you this instead." Inside was a periwinkle colored sun dress. It was a simple design of large white flower blossoms encircling the bottom of it. Some of the cloth merchants had returned to Kinmoku in hopes of reviving the sale of their wares. With summer fast approaching, and the influence of Earth in the fashion from the Star senshi when they returned, their livelyhoods were restored. Taiki vaguely wondered how the Princess came to buy such a luxurious item. "Thank you Princess. Seiya. Yaten." she looked down to her lap with guilt. "I-didn't mean to leave my hair comb and book behind. But-" she pulled the music box out of her pocket. "I had this with me when we came to Earth and the whole time we've been here. I'm sorry, I know you must have looked everywhere to find it."

"It does not matter," Kakyuu said gently, placing a gentle hand on hers. "Will you allow us to hear it again? It seems like ages ago since I heard the melody."

Complying, Taiki turned the key and the little music box sounded, taking the four back to a time that seemed not so long ago of far happier memories.

END

A/N: Agate is the birthstone for those born under the Gemini zodiac sign. Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and I chose amethyst because it's what color her eyes were.

This comes across as shojuo-ai, but it's not, it is a friendship fic all the way.


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